Gas bottle with protective casing for use in the medical field

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a gas bottle in particular for medical use, comprising a generally cylindrical bottle body ( 1 ) comprising members ( 3 ) regulating gas output and optionally a protective covering ( 2 ) arranged around the members ( 3 ) regulating gas output. The invention is characterised in that the bottle body ( 1 ) is at least partly covered with at least a first protective casing ( 11 ), and the members ( 3 ) and/or the protective covering ( 2 ) are at least partly covered with at least a second protective casing ( 21 ). The invention also concerns a protective packaging for a gas bottle formed with a first protective casing ( 11 ) portion and a second protective casing ( 21 ) portion mutually integral and/or formed in a single piece, the first casing portion ( 11 ) comprising a disc-shaped base ( 12 ) to protect the base of the gas bottle.

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas bottle on which means ofcontrolling the inlet and outlet of gas are fixed, particularly a valveunit or a pressure reducing valve assembly, possibly equipped with aflow meter, preferably inserted in a protective cowling also mounted onthe bottle, said bottle and said protective cowling and/or the means ofcontrolling the inlet and outlet of gas being covered by one or moreperipheral external protective casings consisting of one or morethicknesses, which may or may not be preassembled, guaranteeing the gasbottle thus equipped a high level of external cleanliness and hygiene.

[0002] Currently, bottles containing gas for medical use, laboratory gasand industrial gas are externally painted and generally marketed as is,that is to say with no external protection or overlapping.

[0003] Given the immaterial nature of the contents, namely colorlessgases inside the bottle, the image of the product is conveyed only byits container.

[0004] Now, given that the bottle is subjected during its life cycle tonumerous handlings and transport operations, both at the premises of themanufacturer and at those of the user, the external appearance of thebottle quickly suffers degradation giving this recyclable packaging anappearance of mediocre quality, which gives a devalued image of theproduct, particularly when the bottle contains a medical gas, such as agaseous drug.

[0005] In addition, the wear resulting from use and recycling of a gasbottle over a somewhat lengthy period leads to a surface finish which,particularly while the bottle is in storage, encourages the retention ofdust, dirt and various microorganisms and may pose health risks. Thus,the presence of germs on the sides of gas bottles used in a hospitalenvironment may encourage the contraction of nosocomial diseases.

[0006] The problem which is therefore posed is that of being able toimprove the external appearance, cleanliness and image of gas bottles,particularly when the bottle contains medical gas, laboratory gas usedfor analysis purposes, high-purity industrial gas for the electronicsindustry or gas that can be used for the manufacture of foodstuffs.

[0007] Certain solutions to this problem have already been proposed butnone is entirely satisfactory.

[0008] For example, it is known practice to use a protective net made ofplastic which is slipped directly over the cylindrical barrel of thebottle so as to protect it locally from impact. However, it has beenfound, in practice, that the net tends to deform if not changedregularly and therefore no longer performs its protective function. Inaddition, the net does not protect certain parts of the bottle, such asthe protective cowling with which the bottle is equipped.

[0009] Furthermore, it has also been proposed for a thermoformed film tobe arranged around the cylindrical barrel of the bottle. Although such athermoformed film affords the bottle good protection, it does not give asufficient guarantee in terms of hygiene, particularly since, on the onehand, this type of film is generally interrupted under the protectivecowling and, on the other hand, below the barrel of the bottle, that isto say under its base, which leaves the bottom of the bottle and themeans of controlling the outlet of gas therefrom unprotected.Furthermore, its placement, performed by hand, is industriallyrestrictive because it represents a lengthy operation.

[0010] Also known is for the bottle to be placed in a rigid cardboardcasing which affords said bottle protection essentially during transportbecause, once the bottle has been delivered to the site at which it isto be used, the cardboard packaging is removed and discarded because itis often damaged or dirty. In other words, once the bottle has reachedits place of use, it becomes devoid of any protection and, upon returnhaving been emptied, it will once again suffer damage during transport.

[0011] Furthermore, it has also been proposed for the bottle at itsplace of use, particularly in at-risk areas such as operating theatercomplexes as far as bottles for medical use are concerned, to be placedin a fabric bag or a rigid metal container enveloping the barrel of thebottle. However, here again, the solution is not ideal because certainparts of the bottle are unprotected or are protected not veryefficiently, particularly the protective cowling and the members itcontains, such as a valve unit or a pressure reducing valve assembly.

[0012] Such solutions have been described in particular in the followingdocuments UA-A-5,422,152, FR-A-2703434, FR-A-1512098, U.S. Pat. No.3,787,993, EP-A-581665 or WO-A-98/16776.

[0013] Reference may also be made to documents U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,760,U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,872, U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,923, JP-A-07269790 andFR-A-2706140 which describe various technical solutions that can beapplied to the transporting and/or protecting of compressed-gas bottles.

[0014] From there, the object of the invention is to solve the aboveproblem by providing a solution which is more effective in terms ofprotection and the guaranteeing of hygiene than those taught in theprior art, so as to guarantee the gas bottles a high level of externalcleanliness and hygiene.

[0015] The solution of the invention consists in a gas bottle comprisinga bottle body of cylindrical overall shape comprising means ofcontrolling the outlet of the gas and a protective cowling arrangedaround the means of controlling the outlet of the gas, characterized inthat:

[0016] the bottle body is at least partially covered by at least a firstprotective casing, and

[0017] the protective cowling is at least partially covered by at leasta second protective casing.

[0018] In another aspect, the invention relates also to a gas bottlecomprising a bottle body of cylindrical overall shape comprising meansof controlling the outlet of gas, characterized in that:

[0019] the bottle body is at least partially covered by at least a firstprotective casing, and

[0020] the means of controlling the outlet of gas are at least partiallycovered by at least a second protective casing.

[0021] In the context of the invention:

[0022] “means of controlling the outlet of gas” is the name given to themembers which control the outlet of the gas contained in the bottle,such as on/off valves, gas valves, gas pressure reducers, combined gaspressure reducing valve assemblies and combined pressure reducingvalve-flow meter assemblies.

[0023] “protective cowling” is the name given to any three-dimensionalstructure, generally rigid, able to provide the members or means ofcontrolling the outlet of gas with mechanical protection against impactsof any kind; for example the cowling may have a simple “bell-housing”shape or a more complex shape such as the one described in documentEP-A-747796.

[0024] As the case may be, the gas bottle of the invention may have oneor more of the following features:

[0025] the bottle body is covered over at least 70% of its externalsurface area by at least the first protective casing and/or in that theprotective cowling and/or the means of controlling the outlet of gas arecovered over at least 70% of their external surface area by at least thesecond protective casing, and are preferably covered over between 80 and98% of the surface area.

[0026] said first protective casing and second protective casing are asingle protective casing and/or form a one-piece covering structure.

[0027] said first protective casing and second protective casing areseparate and/or not attached to one another.

[0028] the second protective casing covering the means of controllingthe outlet of gas comprises at least one cutout or precut allowing anoperator to have access, through said cutout or precut to said means ofcontrolling the outlet of gas under said second protective casing.

[0029] the second protective casing covering the protective cowlingcomprises at least one cutout or precut that coincides with and/or isplaced opposite at least one opening in the protective cowling to allowan operator to have access, through said cutout or precut and saidopening, to the means of controlling the outlet of gas which means aresituated inside the protective cowling.

[0030] the first protective casing and/or the second protective casingare made of a sheet or structure of a material chosen from cardboard,varnished cardboard, plasticized cardboard, or a polymer.

[0031] the protective cowling and/or the means of controlling the outletof gases are at least partially and temporarily covered by at least athird protective casing and/or a fourth protective casing; the thirdprotective casing and/or the fourth protective casing are preferablymade of a sheet or structure of a material chosen from polymers,preferably PET (polyethylene) or PVC (polyvinyl chloride), preferablyPET.

[0032] the first protective casing and/or the second protective casingare themselves covered with a third external casing for temporaryprotection used while the bottle is being transported; said third casingpreferably comprises one or more handles allowing an operator to carry agas bottle using at least one handle.

[0033] the first protective casing has a disk-shaped bottom; said bottomis preferably rigid and/or made of polymer.

[0034] the first protective-casing forms a sleeve able to encompass atleast 80% of the body of the bottle.

[0035] Furthermore, the invention also relates to protective packagingfor a gas bottle, as such, formed of a first protective casing portionof rectangular shape to cover at least part of the cylindrical body of agas bottle and of a second protective casing portion to cover at leastpart of the control members of said bottle and/or of a protectivecowling protecting said control members, the first protective casingportion and said second protective casing portion being secured togetherand/or formed as a single piece, and the first casing portion furthercomprising a disk-shaped bottom fixed securely to said first casingportion so as to protect at least part of the bottom of the gas bottle.

[0036] As the case may be, the packaging of the invention may have oneor more of the following features:

[0037] the first protective casing portion and said second protectivecasing portion are secured to one another and formed of a single pieceof cardboard sheet, preferably a sheet of cardboard covered with avarnish or a polymer film.

[0038] at least the second protective casing portion has one or morecutouts or precuts.

[0039] the first protective casing portion has two longitudinal edges,at least one of said edges bearing at least one adhesive strip; saidadhesive strip borne by one of said edges is preferably able tocollaborate with the other of said edges; as a preference, the edgebearing said adhesive strip adheres by bonding to the other edge.

[0040] The solution of the invention, namely the fact of protecting notonly the body of the gas bottle but also its upper part (cowling and/ormeans of controlling the outlet of gas) has the following advantages:

[0041] it is simple and quick for the manufacturer to fit once thebottle has been conditioned,

[0042] it allows the bottle, including the operating members, namely thevalve, the pressure reducer and the various gas outlets, particularly inthe case of a bottle with a built-in pressure reducing valve, tomaintain a level of external cleanliness and hygiene over time,

[0043] it allows the affixing of special-purpose logos to qualify thegases, provide an identification code, give legal notices or any otheruseful information or wordings and labels that can be used to trace thebottle through the various successive users, without a risk of adverselyaffecting the surface of the bottle using inopportune and repeatedmarkings,

[0044] it allows a quick inspection of the external appearance or thestate of use of the bottle,

[0045] it allows the presence of a sealing device constituting a userguarantee system, and

[0046] it leads to a reduction in the time spent on repaintingoperations and on bottle maintenance downtime.

[0047] The invention will now be better understood by virtue of adetailed description of some embodiments which are illustrated in theappended figures.

[0048] The present invention relies on the fitting, around thecylindrical body 1 of the bottle and the protective cowling 2, ofprotective casings 11, 21, 30, each of which consist of one or morethicknesses which may or may not be preassembled.

[0049] One 21 of these casings, preferably rigid, protects theprotective cowling 2 and the means 3 of controlling the outlet of gas,that is to say the operating members 3 of the bottle (valve, pressurereducer, outlets, etc.). This rigid part 21 may also protect part of thebody 1 of the bottle, that is to say may extend along the body 1 of thebottle.

[0050] The bottles to which the invention relates are of varying sizes(typically with a capacity of up to about 50 liters of water) butpreferably of small size, because small bottles (with a capacity ofabout 5 liters of water) are more likely to be carried around andhandled by various operators and therefore to be subjected to varioussomewhat contaminating environments.

[0051] In the case of gas bottles for medical use, such a protectivesystem falls within the context of pharmaceutical qualification of theproduct contained in the bottle.

[0052] Using one or more protective casings 11, 21, 30, 40 according tothe present invention affords a solution to the following problems:

[0053] external attacks (scratching, flaky paint, etc.),

[0054] level of external cleanliness unsatisfactory and variable overtime,

[0055] level of hygiene unsatisfactory and variable over time,

[0056] absence of pharmaceutical qualification of the product,

[0057] absence of special logos on the bottles to qualify the image ofthe gases according to the expectations of their respective markets,

[0058] absence of functionality such as stability of the bottle,protection of the operating members (valve, pressure reducer, outlets),obvious visual indication of the state of use of the bottle,

[0059] absence of protection of the paintwork of the body of the bottle,leading to maintenance costs,

[0060] absence of objective criteria against which to check the externalappearance of the bottles during conditioning.

[0061] More specifically, according to the invention, the bottle isprotected by a first protective casing 11 arranged around the body 1 ofthe bottle, a second protective casing 21 arranged around the protectivecowling 2 and possibly a third casing 30 encompassing said first casing11 and second casing 21, for example while the bottle is beingtransported or handled.

[0062] The first protective casing 11 constitutes an external thicknesscovering the body 1 of the bottle of a length equal to or approximatelyequal to the total height of the bottle that is to be protected and of adiameter slightly greater than the diameter of the bottle and theconstituent material of which is either a polymer, preferably PET(polyethylene) and transparent, or a rigid cardboard casing, possiblyvarnished or plasticized, as detailed below.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 16, this first protectivecasing 11 surrounding the body 1 of the bottle preferably comprises arigid and flat bottom 12 which, on the one hand, makes said first casing11 easier to fit around the bottle and, on the other hand, stabilizesthe bottle when it is placed in a vertical position. In addition, thepresence of a bottom 12 secured to the first casing 11 makes it possibleto enhance the hygiene of the bottle by preventing dust or other dirtfrom infiltrating between the body 1 of the bottle and said protectivecasing.

[0064] As detailed in FIG. 13, the protective packaging 11, 21, viewedhere from its inside, that is to say from the side in contact with thebody 1 of the bottle, is formed of a first protective casing portion 11of rectangular overall shape to cover the cylindrical body of a gasbottle and of a second protective casing portion 21 to cover at leastpart of the protective cowling 2 protecting the control members 3. Thefirst protective casing portion 11 and the second protective casingportion 21 are secured to one another and formed as a single piece ofcardboard sheet covered externally with a varnish or with a polymerfilm. The first casing portion 11 carries the disk-shaped bottom 12fixed securely to said first casing portion 11 via a plastic strip 21,itself fixed, for example by bonding, to the sheet that forms the firstcasing portion 11. When the packaging is fitted around the bottle, thetwo ends of the strip 21 may be joined together by clipping.Furthermore, an adhesive strip 22 is provided on one of the longitudinaledges of the first casing portion 11 to allow it to be arranged andfixed in position around the body 1 of the bottle, the edge 29 with theadhesive strip 22 covering the edge 28 without adhesive strip andbonding thereto, via said adhesive strip 22.

[0065] However, in some cases, the presence of a flat bottom 12 is notnecessary and it is possible either to add nothing further or to addjust one or more annular rings 12′ which hug the base of the firstcasing 11, near the bottom of the bottle.

[0066] The second protective casing 21 constitutes a thicknessguaranteeing the members or means 3 of controlling the outlet of gasescontained in the bottle, for example a valve or a gas pressure-reducingvalve assembly, a high level of hygiene. When said members or means ofcontrolling the outlet of gases are protected by a protective cowling 2,then this second protective casing 21 covers all or part of the externalsurface of said protective cowling 2, or may also even cover part of thebody of the bottle. The second protective casing 21 may have a cardboardrigid part, for example made of plasticized or varnished cardboard.Notches or precuts 23, 24, blanked off before entry into service, areprovided on this rigid second protective casing 21 to allow the operatorto access the operating members 3 of the bottle (valve, pressurereducer, outlets). This disposable or non-disposable thickness 21 maybear special-purpose graphics 25, the quality of which is renewed oneach conditioning operation.

[0067] Furthermore, a third thickness 30, the constituent material ofwhich may be a polymer, preferably PET, varnished cardboard orplasticized cardboard, protects the bottle partially or in full while itis being transported from the conditioning and packaging center to itsplace of use (hospital, care center or mobile emergency medical service,for example) or alternatively to a storage site prior to use. The otherprotective casings 11 and 21 may nonetheless be used without this lastthickness 30. This third disposable or non-disposable thickness 30 mayalso bear specific graphics the quality of which is renewed on eachconditioning operation. As this thickness 30 is supposed to afford thebottle full protection during transport and storage, it has therefore tobe sufficiently strong. It could, if need be, be used alone if the levelof hygiene expected by the user is not high. This thickness is providedwith a lateral handle which allows the bottle to be carried horizontallywith ease.

[0068] Finally, a fourth thickness 40, added to the bottle after the gaswhich is contained in said bottle has been used, makes it possible veryvisibly to embody the state of use of the bottle (empty/return to themanufacturer) from information that is visible from afar, thus avoidingany unintentional handling of a bottle which has already been used. As apreference, such a fourth thickness 40 covers at least part of thesecond protective casing 21 when the bottle is empty, as far as the siteat which this bottle is refilled. Advantageously, this fourth thickness40 is of a vivid color (for example orange or red) or has specialmarkings which indicate the condition of the bottle clearly to the userat a simple glance.

[0069] In general, the number of protective thicknesses is directlylinked to the desired level of hygiene and to the life cycle of thebottle between two successive conditioning operations.

[0070] The protective casings make it possible to maintain the level ofexternal cleanliness and hygiene of the bottle over time. They aretherefore associated with an overall usage protocol which involvesseveral phases, namely:

[0071] at the premises of the manufacturer of gas for medical use: atthe end of the filling of the bottle and of the related checks, theprotective casings, preferably disposable, are fitted to the bottle.

[0072] during transport: the devices for storing the bottles on thetrucks will be adapted if necessary so as not to damage the protectivecasings during transport.

[0073] at the premises of the user: the bottle is delivered as is to theuser who retains all of the protective casings throughout the storagetime. At the time of use of the product, the user removes the thirdthickness 30. The bottle then reveals the first and second casings 11and 21. The conditioned product offered with guarantees of cleanlinessis thus protected throughout its use. Once the bottle has been emptied,the user arranges a fourth thickness 40, preferably colored (orange orred) to indicate the state of use of the bottle. The bottle is thusprotected while it is being returned to the conditioning center.

[0074] at the premises of the manufacturer of gas for medical use: theuser places the bottle at the disposal of the manufacturer for return tothe conditioning center. The colored fourth protective casing 40 isremoved prior to conditioning when the bottles are being sorted.

[0075] During the reconditioning of the bottles, the bottle casings arepreferably systematically exchanged for new clean casings.

[0076] As a preference, in the case of small bottles, means allowing thebottle to be carried with a lateral handle 35, 36 (or several of these)situated on the outermost protective casing 30 are provided and thisallows quick and easy removal after each operation of conditioning atthe premises of the manufacturer.

[0077] As an option, in order to improve the level of hygiene, it ispossible, when conditioning the gas, either for the packaging to beimpregnated with a disinfectant product or for the packaging and thebottle (body and control members) to be treated with a disinfectingand/or cleaning solution.

[0078] The invention is particularly well suited to use within ahospital or care establishment, or an on-site intervention unit,particularly a mobile unit of the emergency medical services type.

1. A gas bottle comprising a bottle body (1) of cylindrical overallshape comprising means (3) of controlling the outlet of the gas and aprotective cowling (2) arranged around the means (3) of controlling theoutlet of the gas, characterized in that: the bottle body (1) is atleast partially covered by at least first protective casing (11), andthe protective cowling (2) is at least partially covered by at least asecond protective casing (21).
 2. A gas bottle comprising a bottle body(1) of cylindrical overall shape comprising means (3) of controlling theoutlet of gas, characterized in that: the bottle body (1) is at leastpartially covered by at least a first protective casing (11), and themeans (3) of controlling the outlet of gas are at least partiallycovered by at least a second protective casing (21).
 3. The gas bottleas claimed in either of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the bottlebody (1) is covered over at least 70% of its external surface area by atleast the first protective casing (11) and/or in that the protectivecowling (2) and/or the means (3) of controlling the outlet of gas arecovered over at least 70% of their external surface area by at least thesecond protective casing (21), and are preferably covered over between80 and 98% of their external surface area.
 4. The gas bottle as claimedin one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said first protectivecasing (11) and second protective casing (21) are a single protectivecasing and/or form a one-piece covering structure.
 5. The gas bottle asclaimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said firstprotective casing (11) and second protective casing (21) are separateand/or not attached to one another.
 6. The gas bottle as claimed in oneof claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the second protective casing(21) covering the means (3) of controlling the outlet of gas comprisesat least one cutout or precut (23, 24) allowing an operator to haveaccess, through said cutout or precut (23, 24) to said means (3) ofcontrolling the outlet of gas under said second protective casing (21).7. The gas bottle as claimed in one of claims 1 and 3 to 5,characterized in that the second protective casing (21) covering theprotective cowling (2) comprises at least one cutout or precut (23, 24)that coincides with and/or is placed opposite at least one opening inthe protective cowling (2) to allow an operator to have access, throughsaid cutout or precut (23, 24) and said opening, to the means (3) ofcontrolling the outlet of gas which means are situated inside theprotective cowling (2).
 8. The gas bottle as claimed in one of claims 1to 7, characterized in that the means (3) of controlling the outlet ofgas are chosen from on/off valves, gas valves, gas pressure reducers,combined gas pressure reducing valve assemblies and combined pressurereducing valve-flow meter assemblies.
 9. The gas bottle as claimed inone of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the first protective casing(11) and/or the second protective casing (21) are made of a sheet orstructure of a material chosen from cardboard, varnished cardboard,plasticized cardboard, or a polymer; the first protective casing (11)preferably forms a sleeve able to encompass at least 80% of the body (1)of the bottle.
 10. The gas bottle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9,characterized in that the protective cowling (2) and/or the means (3) ofcontrolling the outlet of gases are at least partially and temporarilycovered by at least a third protective casing (30) and/or a fourthprotective casing (40); the third protective casing (30) and/or thefourth protective casing (40) are preferably made of a sheet orstructure of a material chosen from polymers, preferably PET or PVC. 11.The gas bottle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 10, characterized inthat the first protective casing (11) and/or the second protectivecasing (21) are themselves covered with a third external casing (30) fortemporary protection used while the bottle is being transported; saidthird casing (30) preferably comprises one or more handles (35, 36)allowing an operator to carry a gas bottle using at least one handle(35, 36).
 12. The gas bottle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11,characterized in that the first protective casing (11) has a disk-shapedbottom (12); said bottom (12) is preferably rigid and/or made ofpolymer.
 13. Protective packaging (11, 21) for a gas bottle formed of afirst protective casing portion (11) of rectangular shape to cover atleast part of the cylindrical body (1) of a gas bottle and of a secondprotective casing portion (21) to cover at least part of the controlmembers (3) of said bottle and/or of a protective cowling (2) protectingsaid control members (3), the first protective casing portion (11) andsaid second protective casing portion (21) being secured together and/orformed as a single piece, and the first casing portion (11) furthercomprising a disk-shaped bottom (12) fixed securely to said first casingportion (11) so as to protect at least part of the bottom of the gasbottle.
 14. The packaging as claimed in claim 13, characterized in thatthe first protective casing portion (11) and said second protectivecasing portion (21) are secured to one another and formed of a singlepiece of cardboard sheet, preferably a sheet of cardboard covered with avarnish or a polymer film.
 15. The packaging as claimed in either ofclaims 13 and 14, characterized in that at least the second protectivecasing portion (21) has one or more cutouts or precuts (22).
 16. Thepackaging as claimed in one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in thatthe first protective casing portion (11) has two longitudinal edges (28,29), at least one (28) of said edges (28, 29) bearing at least oneadhesive strip (22); said adhesive strip (22) borne by one (28) of saidedges (28, 29) is preferably able to collaborate with the other (29) ofsaid edges.
 17. The use of a bottle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12within a hospital or care establishment, or an on-site response unit,particularly a mobile unit of the emergency medical services type.